The latest exhibit at the Arts Council of Livingston Parish’s Gallery — appropriately named “New Year, New Beginnings” — was introduced to the public Saturday at an opening reception.
The exhibit shines the spotlight on art created by members of the council. The creative talents of 17 artists from Livingston and some surrounding parishes can be viewed through Feb. 21, at the gallery located on Hummell Street in Historic Downtown Denham Springs.
The gallery is open 10 a.m. until noon on Wednesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturdays.
Shelly Frederick, secretary to the arts council’s board of directors and curator of the gallery, said the paintings and other art objects are for sale and prices of the pieces are listed next to the art.
“We think this is a very good exhibit and it offers our very talented local artists the opportunity to share their works with the public,” Frederick said. “I think that visitors to the gallery through the next month will enjoy viewing the paintings and other creative pieces on display.”
Present for the opening of the exhibit was Amber Hilbun, the newly elected president of the Arts Council of Livingston Parish. Hilbun, who was the council’s Artist of the Year last year and is a veteran member of the council, said council “members always enjoy the opportunity to share their talents with the community. The, ‘New Year, New Beginnings,’ exhibit is our opportunity to show everyone the talent that we have right here in our community. We welcome this opportunity to share our passion for the visual arts with those who enjoy visiting the gallery.”
Hilbun said she looks forward to another year of helping to continue the programs sponsored by the arts council. She said the council will continue to bring exhibits to the gallery on a regular basis. “The arts add to the quality of life of a community and the Arts Council of Livingston Parish woks hard to bring different facets of the creative arts to the community. Our exhibits, changed on a regular basis, bring the visual arts to the public. We are also involved in theater and dance programs. We spotlight the creative talent that we have right here,” she said.
More in 2024
Hilbun said this year the council will offer more art classes for all ages. At the same time, classes in dance and theater will be offered again this year, she said.
On the immediate horizon is a class in Com-Con, the art that is featured in comic books. Students will create comic art that will be put on display at the Walker-Denham Springs Branch of the Livingston Parish Library System starting on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Students in the dancing classes offered through the council will perform at local venues such as assisted living facilities, at parades and schools, Hilbun said.
“The arts are alive in Livingston Parish and we want to help in nourishing that aspect of life in our area,” Hilbun said.
3D art hanging
Among the 50 or more art objects on display at the current exhibit are unusual three-dimensional hanging pieces created by Heather Kinsel. Kinsel’s art starts with a foam board background to which she applies Bondo, the clay-like substance used to repair vehicle dents and dings.
She builds the artwork up with Bondo and then adds various colors of paint which she literally drops on the piece. “I’m not always sure of exactly how the paint will come out, I mostly just let it flow wherever it wants to go.”
Once the paint dries, she adds coats of epoxy that give the sculpture a dazzling, smooth, shiny finish. Kinsel then adds crystals to add even more sparkle to the piece. She said that each creation takes several days or even weeks to finish because each stage has to go through a drying process before the next stage can be completed.
Kinsel said that she started making her sculptures about two years ago. “My husband and I work with installing countertops and we use epoxy and I just decided to start playing around with ways to use this with art. As a teenager I enjoyed drawing and usually drew mythical creatures. I was also a beautician at one time and I guess that’s sort of a form of art. But I was always interested in colors and a visit to a local planetarium was an inspiration. When I saw pictures of the Orion Nebula I was inspired to reproduce something like that and I made three pieces that form the nebula,” she said.
Art was not first career
Visitors entering the gallery will be immediately drawn to a large painting hanging prominently on the main wall in the lobby. The painting, “Carlos with Coffee and Cigarettes,” is the inspired creation of Nanci Charpentier.
Charpentier said she had an interest in art as a child but generally did not seriously pursue art as a profession until about 10 years ago. “I went to LSU where I studied criminal justice, not art, and it was later in life when I started painting and I just could not stop. Once my children were grown and it high school, I had the time to get serious about art,” she said.
Charpentier added, “when I tell people that I am an artist, a painter, then they tend to say, ‘you do this for fun or just to paint pictures for your friends and relatives,’ but I tell them, ‘No! I paint because I am an artist and this is what I do full time.” She said she now sells her paintings on a regular basis. She is involved with different groups interested in the visual arts and in addition to her own paintings, she also teaches art.
She said she generally enjoys painting landscapes and that she doesn’t usually paint large pictures such as the one in the lobby of the gallery. “Painting that picture took me three years because I would paint some and then put it aside. But I stayed with it and finally finished it,” she said.
Also displaying their works are Erika Anaya, Virginia Berthelot, Cherie Ducote-Breaux, Donna Francisco, Marita Gentry, Shelley Gideon, Mary Harris, K.C. “Kitty” Kuhnert, Janis Mann, Kevin Paninski, Dody Sandifer, Diane Scimeca, Benjamin Sharon and Carolyn Stutts.